Episode 08: Effects of Piracy on Filmmakers and the Film Industry

Piracy is one of the most significant challenges in the film industry. Almost a quarter of all internet bandwidth is devoted just to online piracy. People visited piracy websites around 130 billion times in 2020. There isn’t any format that has avoided piracy. People can pirate anything digital, whether a book, a film, a television show, or cutting-edge computer software. 

One of the most significant shortcomings of piracy is the loss of revenue. Unfortunately, it doesn’t only affect the filmmakers, but also the cinema, which impacts creators and artists in the media industry. A sad statistic shows that more than 200,000 people are made redundant in the United States due to piracy each year. That said, if we leverage piracy, it can be a fantastic marketing tool. I will see how best I can do it with a film I will release next year.

The freedom that comes with piracy is one thing that makes it attractive to people. Imagine having the opportunity to access something you do not have to pay for, a film or piece of software from back in the day that is not available elsewhere, or accessing films that may be banned in your country. Isn’t that freedom?

In this episode, I want to share the nitty-gritty of what pirating has done to the film industry. I look at the pros and cons of piracy, why people love it, and the relationship between piracy and censorship.

Listen in to hear more.

Key Talking Points of the Episode:

[01:56] Effects of piracy on the film industry

[04:08] Can piracy be a form of advertising?

[07:55] What is the connection between piracy and censorship?

[10:01] Why do people love piracy?

Magical Quotes from the Episode:

“Piracy creates a small amount of online freedom for people wanting to browse content outside the scope of censorship.”

“One thing that is undeniably true in the age of the internet is that piracy is here to stay. If firmer consequences were introduced for torrenting films, this wouldn’t make pirates disappear. It would just make them learn to be sneakier.”

"A large part of the allure of piracy is finding access to films that aren’t available on legal platforms, whether they just aren’t available yet or because they’re on a platform you don’t currently pay for."

"An undeniable facet of internet piracy is making video media accessible for people who genuinely cannot afford a streaming platform subscription or purchase films whenever they want to watch them."